The Klein family are little people that live behind the walls of the famous Eldridge Street Synagogue in New York City at the turn of the century. Grandfather''s attempt to retrieve their holiday candle is foiled by a cat. Through this story of "the little people," the author introduces children to the characters, historical landmarks, and symbols of Judaism. For example, when young Mindy volunteers to save Hanukkah (risking an encounter with the cat), she climbs a "lulav" (a palm branch left over from Sukkot) in order to find the candles. When Mindy's wee grandfather saves her from the cat's claws, he is compared to Maccabee, the leader who recaptured Jerusalem from the Greeks.